It’s almost insulting to think that America won the space race only to be reduced to catching rides into space on Russian Soyuz capsules more than forty years later. Even more insulting is the fact that a nation rounded ridiculed a presidential candidate for suggesting a permanent moon base and manned missions to Mars.

It is quite sad that, in the forty years since Apollo 17, space exploration has turned into a joke in this country. Surely we can do better.

The last and greatest American achievement. We have had Steve Jobs, Bill Gates etc…but the Apollo program was the ultimate in our National efforts. Forty years later I’m depressed as hell that there has been zero, nada, squat since then…

Of course there is no more money to accomplish anything great because the Takers are suckling furiously on the Collective Tit. It’s disgusting.

Love the Hoverround commercial at the Statue of Liberty. I noticed the rider was rather portly. If I were Hank Johnson, I’d be scared that dude would tip the Statue into the water! Oh, and it’s always a thyroid condition. Couldn’t be because they shovel Big Macs in their mouth 24/7.

Makes perfect sense that the Catholic Church is pushing for continuing the lax immigration policies, considering how the church has benefitted from them so far. For the first time in U.S. history, a minority identify themselves as Protestant.

While the biggest factor is, of course, the overall decrease in the % of Americans who identify with any religious affiliation, the percentage of Catholics within those who still identify as Christians is on the rise….due in part to immigration from other parts of the Americas where Catholics account for up to 90% of the population (thank you, torturing/murdering Catholic-commissioned Conquistadors and Old World plagues! :>)

I guess the entire “obey the authorities” bit gets lost in translation these days. Picking and choosing portions of the bible to obey does somewhat lesson the moral impact of a statement coming from a Catholic bishop, but who the heck is impressed by that sort of status anyway?

If one must obey the authorities, and a parishoner does not, but puts his desires and wants before the interests of a society, especially one not his own, what does that indicate about the status of that person’s soul? That he is meek and Christ-like, or that he is grasping and avaricious, willing to do whatever is needed for material gain? I don’t know the final answer, but my guess is that there is at least a decent dialogue that could be had about the issue, and perhaps should be. Cetainly enough fingers get pointed at the “non-welcoming” society–no harm should come from a little scrutiny the other way, should it?

Someone is going to have to explain to me why the Republicans don’t pull a Brer Rabbit, spring the trap and agree to the rate increase on the top earners. They could then get all kinds of favorable concessions/loopholes. A high percentage of business owners and industry leaders can adjust their financials to make the increase a non-event or even an advantage ?

Do you think Obama cares about fiscal and tax policy? Look at his response when Boehner gave him what he wanted, a tax increase of $800M on the rich. Obama dismissed it in minutes. Then you have Turbo Tax Geitner who threw out a demand that the Republicans surrender their main leverage point, the debt ceiling.

Obama doesn’t care about the cliff. He is using it as a way to split the Republicans and weaken them for 2014 and maybe eliminate them forever. This isn’t a good faith negotiation. Hopefully, the Republicans recognize this and back away from any deal and refuse to raise the debt limit. That will force two things:

1) the 47% that don’t pay taxes today, will start bearing the cost of government

2) Obama will need to shrink government to fit its revenues.

The Republicans are in a stronger position than they know. Obama knows he’s in a weak position and is demonstrating that with his bravado.

Experienced negotiators know its that its the quiet opponents that have the BATNA. Like Sun Tzu says…..Appear weak when you are strong, and [b]”strong when you are weak.”[/b]

Nancy Pelosi (typed with middle finger) said all the Republicans have to do is raise the rate on top earners and avoid the cliff. Public opinion via the media will place blame on the Republicans if we go over the cliff. And it will stick in 2014.

The art of negotiation is suspect at this time. The weakness of the Demos is a single point position- tax the rich – and the Republicans are taking the bait in lieu of exploiting it.